A tiger at a US Zoo tests positive for coronavirus
(CNN) - Nadia, a tiger at the Bronx Zoo in New York, has become the first of her kind to test positive for the coronavirus.
The
4-year-old female Malayan tiger tested positive after developing a dry
cough and is expected to recover, the Wildlife Conservation Society's
Bronx Zoo said in a news release.
Samples
from Nadia were taken and tested after the tiger -- and five other
tigers and lions at the zoo -- began showing symptoms of respiratory
illness, according to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). No other animals at the zoo are showing symptoms.
"Though
they have experienced some decrease in appetite, the cats at the Bronx
Zoo are otherwise doing well under veterinary care and are bright,
alert, and interactive with their keepers," the zoo said.
"It
is not known how this disease will develop in big cats since different
species can react differently to novel infections, but we will continue
to monitor them closely and anticipate full recoveries."
The
animals were infected by a zoo employee who was "asymptomatically
infected with the virus" while caring for them, according to the zoo.
The Bronx Zoo has been closed to the public since March 16.
Anyone
sick with the coronavirus is being advised to minimize contact with
animals, including pets, until more information is known about the
virus, the USDA said.
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